Fastening device



Oct. 12, 1 937. e. A. TINNERMAN FASTENiNG DEVICE Filed July 17, 1936 M 5m H mm m Z (w mm wfl Patented Oct. l2, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 2,095,895FASTENING DEVICE George A. Tinnerman, Rocky River, Ohio, assignortoAlbert H. Tinnerman, Cleveland, Ohio Application July 17, 1936, SerialNo. 91,172 6 Claims. (01. 189-36) This invention relates to animprovement in fasteners or connectors for spaced parts, andspecifically to an improvement in spring fasteners of the type employingindented sheet-metal I 5 tongues adapted to engage the threads of a boltor screw in a manner to form in effect a self-locking" nut forpreventing turning of the screw out of position.

An object is to provide an improved connecting device for spaced parts,which device includes an automatically locking spring nut engageable bya securing screw.

Another object is to provide a connector for spaced parts, by the use ofwhich the spaced parts normally may be held-securely in operativerelationship, while nevertheless some'relative movement between theconnected parts is permitted, e. g.: to compensate for inaccuracy in theformation of the connected parts, or to permit slight relative motion ofthe connected parts for dampening sound transmission, or to prevent or'deter conductivity of heat or sound waves from one of the connectedparts to the other.

A specific object is to provide a connecting fastener for inner andouter panels of door or wall constructions, whereby the. panels may beeasily and quickly assembled in a definite relationship, notwithstandingvariations in details of manufacture with respect to fastener openings,and which'fastener may be arranged to prevent transmission ofvibrations, sound or heat waves, therethrough from one connected part toanother.

Still another object lsto provide a door construction for cabinets,refrigerators and the like, having inner and outer panels which are tobe maintained in spaced relationship, which construction will obviatethe necessity for the usual breaker strips, will provide-a commonsupport for fasteners, such as screws, and will effectively accommodateresilient sealing strips, when such Anotherspecific object' is toprovide a springfastener-equipped mounting for objects, such as electricmotors and/or power transmission mechanism for units, such asrefrigerators, air-conditioning equipment, and motor-driven apparatusgenerally, which mounting is adapted and arranged for absorbing shockand reducing wave f transmission generally. I

o Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe following descrip- 55 tion relating to the accompanying drawing.showare desired, as between the door and its frame.

ing illustrative embodiments. The essential characteristics aresummarized in the claims.

A device incorporating the invention is shown in two general forms, onecomprising a fastener for spaced parts, including a body having flangeeffects at an angle to eac'h other and screw or bolt-receiving springtongues on at leastone of the flange efiects, preferably both. In theother general form, the flanges, one or more of which has or have springtongues, are parallel but in 1 different planes. The spring tongues, incase a plurality of pairs or sets are used on one device, preferablyextend on opposite sides of the metal body material forming the device,but in some instances may extend inthe same direc-. 15 tion with respectto such body material.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the connectingfastenerin one specific form, the-same being made from a single piece ofsheet metal; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a similar device formed inthree parts; Fig.

. 3 is a sectional plan view of the device of Fig.

Fig. 2, said device being shown in central longitudinal cross-section;and Fig.5 shows the fastening connector hereof in the second-mentionedform, serving as a support for an electric motor.

Referring speci'flcallyto Fig. 1, this shows a sheet metal body at I,having a flange 2 at one end, which-is bent substantially at rightangles to the body I. The opposite end of the body has a flange 3,formed byan open return bend 4, disposing the major portion of theflangeinto parallelism with the body I, but spaced from it. Both flanges2 and 3, as shown, are provided with oppositely extending spring tongues6, partially severed from the sheet metal of the respective flanges andout-struck from the planes thereof in the form of arches which are openat the top. a The tongues are suitably indented, as indicated. at I, theindentations being of any suitable contour as determined by thecharacter of the belt or screw with which the fastener is to be used. Asshown in Figs. 1 to 3, the indented extremities of the tongues may havefpitch corresponding, generally to the thread pitch of such bolt or.screw to be engaged by the tongues. It will be noted that the tongues ofthe two sets are outstruck from the metal stock in opposite directions.

Preferably there is an enlarged opening 8, aligned with the all of theindentations in the acter of which is determined largely by the speinthe form of strips Ill and H, for supporting,

the flanges 2 and 3, said flanges and their belt or screw-receivingapertures and tongues being identical with the showing thereof inFig. 1. For

convenience, the'body member l will be considered on the front face ofthe device and the member II on the back face. Connecting the two'strips ll and II therebetween issuitable interposed yielding orinsulating material l2, the charciflc use of the fastener. Preferably,the strip of material I! isrubber, the same being firmly vulcanized toboth metal'strips or otherwise suitably secured. Rubber, so interposed,will absorb vibrations, as well as act to deter or prevent'theconduction of heat and sound waves from onemetal part of the fastener tothe other. Thus,

spaced parts connected by the fastener are insulated from each other asto vibrations, noise and 1 heat.

Referring now to an illustrative use for the fastener, in either formabove described, and specifically to Fig. 4, outer and inner panels of a-door construction are indicated respectively at l5 and Ii. The outerpanel, as is usual in refrigerator door construction, is flangedinwardly contlnuously about its margin, as at H, and the margin of theinturned flange is turned at right angles,

- as shown, forming a shorter flange eifect l8, ex-

' tending normal to the planeof the door.

flange- H has a series of'openings, one being at I! engaging the tonguesof the fastener flange l... Marsala functions may be substituted.

The

shown at' It, for receiving fastening members, such as bolts or screws,one screw being shown 2,. The panel I has a marginal flange, indicated'at- 2., which is similarly apertured to receive screws 26 engaging thetongues of the flange 3. 1

In the desired assembled relationship of the two panels, the marginalflange 20 is substantially aligned with the short flange effect i8 ofthe panel II and spaced therefrom. Ordinarily, solid wood or compositionbreaker strips are used, marginally to connect the door panels forreducing heat transmission losses; One feature of the present deviceisthat it displaces such breaker strips.

.It is apparent that if the panel flanges or the holes in the panelflanges which receive the are not accurately, related, thetonguesupporting flanges of the fasteners may be moved relatively bystretching or warping the rubber connection in the operation of placingthe screws; but that, after the screws have been driven home, the panelswill be snugly held against excessive relative movement. The panels Iiand II are insulated from each other by the mutually scouring fasteners,and only enough relative movement is'permitted to dampen sound waves, 1.e. to prevent the outer panel from being vibrated by the inner panel.

The rubber strip I! vulcanized 'to the body strips "and II, constitutes:a yielding, an insu-' lative', and a vibration dampening connectionbetween the bolt-thread-gripping spring fasten- ,and any other meansserving one or more A rubber e. grsealing strip 33 is shown at the faceof the door adjacent the door frame or lamb M, the outer face of thestrip being inclined complementary to the frame opening. A flange 32lies in the edge recess 33 to form a rabbet. Usually, the sealing stripextends continuously about the perimeter of the door, and may have adovetai "securing rib portion 32, which snaps into place between theproximate edges of the aligned which the body portions 40 and 4|corresponding to the body plates Ill and II on Fig. 2 e. g. are

vulcanized or otherwise securely fixed. The plate I40 has a flange 42extending at right angles thereto with indented bolt orscrew-thread-receiving tongues 46 to embrace the attaching bolts 41depending from the leg portions "of the motor frame 50. The body members4f, in the particular formof attaching fasteners shown, have flanges 49extending at right angles therefrom as a base. The flanges may havesimple holes to receive fastening screws or bolts, the heads of whichare indicated at I, or the. flanges 49 may be equipped with springtongues of. the character shown'in Figs. 2 and 3 or other suitable form.

In the last described arrangement, it will be seen that the yieldingblocks Ha function to allow considerable variation in the relativepositioning yieldable with respect to each other and relative to saidbody portion, at least one of said flanges being provided with integralmeans deformed from the plane thereof for receiving fastening & elementsfor securing said flanges to said spaced parts, whereby said connectingmeans may give under force through the relative yieldable flanges and inthe area of said integral fastener receiving means.

2. Connecting means" for securing parts in spaced relation in astructure, comprising a body portion and flanges extending in differentplanes with respect to said body portion, said flanges being yieldablewith respect to each other and relative to saidbody portion, at leastone of said flanges being provided with integral yieldable meansdeformedto project from the plane thereof for receiving fastening elements forsecuring said flanges to-said spaced parts, whereby said connectingmeans may give under force through the relative yieldable flanges and inthe area of said integral yieldable fastener receiving means tocompensate for manufacturing variations and strains set up in theassembly or incident to use of the structure.

3. In a joint structure comprising panels having marginal flangesdisposed at angles to each other, the combination of connecting meansfor securing said panels in spaced relation,

1 said connecting means comprising a body portion andflanges relativelyyieldable with. respect o each other and said body portion, said flanges35 metallic members having being formed at such angle to said bodyportion as to seat against the marginal flanges of said panels,and saidflanges being provided with means I adapted to receive fasteningelements for securing said marginal flangespf the panels to therelatively yieldable flanges of said connecting means, whereby saidconnecting means may give under force to compensate for manufacturingvariations and strains setup in the assembly or I incident to use of thestructure.

4. In a joint structure comprising spaced pan els having marginalflanges disposed at angles to each other, the combination of connectingmeans forsecuring said panels in spaced rela- 5 tion, said connectingmeans comprising a body portion and flanges relatively yieldable withrespect to each other and said body portion, said flanges being formedat such angle to said body portion as to seat against the marginalflanges of 20 said panels, and said flanges being provided withintegral, yieldable fastener receiving means deformed from the planethereof and adapted to receive fastening elements for securing themarginal flanges of the panels to the relatively yield 25 able flangesof the connecting means, whereby said connecting means may give underforce through the relatively yieldable flanges and in the area ,of saidintegral yieldable fastenerreceiving means to compensate forirregularities 30 and manufacturing variations in the panels.

5. Connecting means for securing parts in spaced relation ina structure,comprising, a body portion including "an elastic element and metallicmembers bonded to said elastic element, said flanges extending indifierent planes with respect to said body portion,

relatively yieldable flanges and in the area of said integral fastenerreceiving means to compensate for manufacturingvariations and strainsset ,up

in the assembly or incident to use of the structure.

6.- In a joint structure comprising spaced panels having marginalflanges disposed at angles to each other, the combination of aconnecting means for securing said panels in spaced relation, saidconnecting means comprising a body portion including an elastic elementand metallic members bonded thereto, said metallic members havingflanges relatively yieldable with respect to each other and to said bodyportion, said flanges being formed at such angle to said body portion asto seat against the marginal flanges of said panels, and said flangesbeing provided with integral, yieldable fastener receiving meansdeformed from the plane thereof andadapted to receive fastening elementsfor securing said marginal flanges of the panels to the relativelyyieldable flanges of the connecting means. whereby said 3 connectingmeans may give under force through the elastic element, the relativelyyieldable flanges, and in the area of said integral'yieldable fastenerreceiving means to compensate for manufacturing variations and strainsset up in the assembly or incident to use of the structure.

